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Crenshaw County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Crenshaw County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Crenshaw County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 29 South Glenwood Avenue, Luverne, AL 36049 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 328, Luverne, AL 36049 |
| Phone | (334) 335-6568 |
| Filing fee | Confirm the current total with the Crenshaw County Probate Office. Alabama probate fees use a statutory base under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 plus county-specific local charges. |
| Local forms | A public Crenshaw County estate packet is not identified. Call the probate office before filing. |
| E-filing | Crenshaw County does not publish an electronic estate-petition option. Ask the probate office what filing methods it accepts. |
| Case search | The county does not identify a probate case lookup for estate files. Call or visit the probate office for access questions. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the probate office when a hearing is set. The Crenshaw County Probate Court decides whether phone or video participation is allowed in a particular matter. |
| Website | https://www.crenshawcountyalonline.com/ProbateJudge/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a probate path in Crenshaw County, make a working list of the assets, debts, titled property, beneficiary designations, and any original will. The probate office can tell you what it expects with a filing, but it cannot choose the legal path for you or prepare the papers.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 institutions, then helps organize what belongs in probate and what may pass outside probate before a Crenshaw County filing is prepared.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Crenshaw County Probate Court at the courthouse in Luverne serves Crenshaw County probate filings. No second courthouse or satellite probate filing location is identified for estate matters.
Alabama venue for probating a will generally belongs in the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. For a decedent who lived outside Alabama, venue can be in a county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
The jurisdiction process
- Collect the original will, if there is one, death certificate information, asset details, debt information, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, and an estimate of what property needs probate.
- Call the Crenshaw County Probate Office at (334) 335-6568 before filing to ask what petition, notices, proposed order, copies, and payment method the office wants for your estate type.
- File the probate petition with the Crenshaw County Probate Office at the courthouse in Luverne, or ask the office whether it will accept the filing another way. If there is an original will, ask how the court wants it delivered.
- Pay the filing charges required by the probate office. If no current local fee total is posted, ask the office for the amount because Alabama's statutory probate fee schedule works with local charges (Ala. Code § 12-19-90).
- Give notice to heirs, beneficiaries, and other interested people as the probate court directs. If creditors must be noticed by publication, follow the publication instructions given after the petition is accepted.
- Attend the hearing if the probate court sets one. Ask the probate office when the hearing is scheduled whether any phone or video participation is allowed.
- After the probate judge grants authority, receive letters testamentary if there is a will and an executor is appointed, or letters of administration if an administrator is appointed.
- Administer the estate by gathering probate assets, preserving property, dealing with valid claims, and observing Alabama's creditor-claim rules, including the six-month nonclaim period and the 30-day period after actual notice for creditors entitled to actual notice (Ala. Code § 43-2-350).
- When administration is ready to finish, prepare the accounting, consents, receipts, petitions, or settlement papers the probate court requires, then ask the Crenshaw County Probate Office how to submit the closing materials.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Crenshaw County
Crenshaw County does not identify a public estate filing packet on the Probate Judge page. Before you file, call the Crenshaw County Probate Office and ask which petition, cover sheet, proposed order, notices, copies, and payment method it wants for the type of estate you are opening.
Alabama does not use one public probate packet for every county. If you are named as executor in a will, or if you expect to ask for appointment as administrator when there is no will, get the local filing requirements from the Crenshaw County Probate Office before you prepare the packet.
Local nuance
Crenshaw County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a filer |
|---|---|
| Limited public estate-filing detail online | Plan to confirm hours, filing method, form expectations, fee totals, and hearing instructions by phone before traveling to the courthouse. |
| No identified county probate lookup | Do not assume a neighboring county's probate portal applies to Crenshaw County. Call the Crenshaw County Probate Office for estate-file access questions. |
Recent updates
| Change | What changed |
|---|---|
| Act 2025-431 | Effective October 1, 2025, Alabama changed the summary distribution rules under the Revised Alabama Small Estates Act. The current ceiling is tied to the combined Article 6 allowance amounts under Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02. Ask the Crenshaw County Probate Office what local petition materials and publication instructions it requires for that path. |
Scenarios
| Persona | Likely Crenshaw County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | First confirm how the home is titled and whether it passes outside probate. If probate property remains, open the estate through the Crenshaw County Probate Office in Luverne. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title clues, beneficiary designations, and debts so the spouse can decide what belongs in the probate filing. |
| out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | If the estate consists of qualifying personal property, Alabama summary distribution may be worth asking about. If a full estate is needed, call the probate office before traveling and ask what can be prepared in advance. | Sunset organizes the estate settlement checklist, helps gather institution information, and can connect the child with local counsel if a Crenshaw County filing is needed. |
| parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of a probate home usually requires full administration and authority for a personal representative. File in Crenshaw County if venue belongs there, then follow the probate judge's directions before any sale step. | Sunset helps surface mortgage, tax, insurance, and account information so the parent and attorney can plan the sale and closing of the estate. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Crenshaw County Probate Office | Provides local filing intake information for probate matters. Staff can explain office requirements, but they cannot prepare legal documents or give legal advice. | 29 South Glenwood Avenue, Luverne, AL 36049. Mailing address: PO Box 328, Luverne, AL 36049. Phone: (334) 335-6568. |
| Legal Services Alabama | Statewide free civil legal help for low-income Alabamians, subject to eligibility and case priorities. The program lists civil help and does not advertise estate administration representation. | 866-456-4995. Spanish intake: 888-835-3505. Online applications are accepted. |
| AlabamaLegalHelp.org | Self-help and referral site named by Legal Services Alabama. | https://www.alabamalegalhelp.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Consider talking with an Alabama probate attorney if the will may be contested, heirs disagree, real estate must be sold, creditor claims are unclear, a business or farm is involved, or you live outside Alabama and need someone to handle local filings and hearings. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps you build a practical inventory for estate settlement before a Crenshaw County probate filing is prepared.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet, with the court, addresses, family information, asset list, and next-step checklist in one place.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal advice, a contested issue, a real estate sale, or a local filing strategy, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Alabama probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, understand what information is missing, and decide when professional help is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Crenshaw County?
File with the Crenshaw County Probate Office at the Crenshaw County Courthouse, 29 South Glenwood Avenue, Luverne, AL 36049. Call (334) 335-6568 before you go to ask what the office wants with the petition.
Does Crenshaw County have local probate forms online?
A public Crenshaw County estate packet is not identified on the Probate Judge page. Call the probate office before preparing a filing so you know what petition, copies, notices, and payment the office expects.
Can I e-file an estate petition in Crenshaw County?
Crenshaw County does not publish an electronic estate-petition option for probate filings. Ask the probate office what filing methods it accepts for a new estate.
How much does probate cost in Crenshaw County?
No dated local probate fee total is posted for Crenshaw County. Ask the probate office for the current amount because Alabama probate fees use a statutory base under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 plus local charges.
Can I look up a Crenshaw County probate case online?
The county does not identify a probate case lookup for Crenshaw County estate files. For access questions, call or visit the Crenshaw County Probate Office.
Do I have to travel to Luverne for a Crenshaw County probate hearing?
The probate court sets the hearing method for each matter. When a hearing is scheduled, ask the probate office whether the judge will allow participation by phone or video.
What happens after the probate judge appoints a personal representative?
The appointed executor or administrator receives letters testamentary or letters of administration, gathers probate assets, gives required notices, handles valid claims, and later files the materials needed to settle and close the estate.
Can a small Crenshaw County estate use summary distribution?
Possibly, if it fits Alabama's summary distribution rules under the Revised Alabama Small Estates Act. The route is for qualifying personal property, and the Crenshaw County Probate Office can tell you what local petition materials and publication instructions it requires.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.